Federal Health Minister defends Medicare record as new data reveals GP costs have surged

Health Minister Mark Butler has defended reports that more Aussies are struggling to find bulk-billing GPs, rubbishing the opposition’s claims.

The rebuttal came after Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston launched a scathing attack on Minister Butler, claiming that Labor has failed to protect Australians from soaring healthcare costs.

“Despite spending billions of taxpayer dollars, Labor has delivered higher costs, fewer GP clinics and a healthcare system that is under more pressure by the day,” Senator Ruston said.

“At a time when families are already struggling to pay their rent or mortgages and power bills, Labor has allowed the cost of seeing a GP to spiral out of control.”

The attack comes after a Cleanbill Blue report found that the average out-of-pocket cost for a GP visit surged by 13.5 per cent in the past year.

Senator Ruston said in a media release that the government's own numbers confirm the worrying trend.

“This mirrors the latest official data from the Health Department, which shows that the average out-of-pocket cost nationwide has risen to more than $50 on average for the first time in Medicare’s history.”

The Health Minister replied by rubbishing the opposition’s numbers.

“Specific data contained in the Cleanbill analysis cannot be relied upon and should not be reported as accurate,” Mr Butler said in a statement.

“Since November 1 (2025), more than 3,200 practices are now fully bulk billing. Almost 1,200 of these were previously mixed billing practices.”

But data released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) last month revealed gaps in Labor’s Medicare revamp.

When Labour won government in 2022, patients aged 16-64 got about 80 per cent of their GP appointments bulk-billed.

That figure dropped to about 70 per cent in 2023 and slipped to 69 per cent as of October 2024.

Ms Ruston said the data was proof that Aussies were being priced out of visiting a doctor.

“The Government’s own data shows the consequence, with Australians now making around 10,000 fewer GP visits every single day under Labor,” Ms Ruston said.

Mr Butler has defended the government’s policy, claiming that its focus on the availability of bulk-billing GP’s will pay off.

“Close to 7,500 General Practices are now registered with MyMedicare. This has increased significantly since 1 November 2025,” Mr Butler said

“By 2030 the number of fully bulk billed practices will be boosted to around 4,800 nationally.”

Mr Butler also highlighted the opening of 137 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics and the expansion of its free 24/7 telehealth service.

Despite the government’s revamp, Ms Ruston said it was yet another example of Labor overspending and underdelivering.

“Anthony Albanese promised Australians they would be able to see a GP for free, but millions are instead being forced to put skyrocketing charges on their credit cards or avoid care altogether.”